[MarcadoStalker7]

  After getting a little more time with the two pads, I did find that the differences were bigger than what I initially heard in the first couple hours of use.  Now, I know they seem like they are on their way out, I did want to post something more definitive and final about the pads. 
 

FocusPad vs FocusPad A

 
As many of you know, there are not one, but two hybrid pads that are available for the HiFiMan HE-series headphones.  They are called the FocusPad (production) and FocusPad A (pre-production).  The core differences between them visually is that the production pad, on the interior wall, uses perforated pleather.  The preproduction model uses velour for the inner wall.  
 

A Word on Comfort

 
Before I go on to sound, I’ll go over a couple things regarding comfort.  The FocusPad A is much more comfortable than the FocusPad.  It utilizes a softer foam which compresses easier and reduces the clamping force that the FocusPad has.  Also do note that the FocusPad A seals better with my head…  That’s my head, so your mileage may vary in that regard.  It may also explain the difference in bass I hear.  
 

Sound Differences

 
Starting from the low-end, the bass, as stated does have slight differences to it.  The FocusPad A seems to have a little more fluidity to it and less of a body/thump to the low/mid-bass regions.  It sounds a lot less one-noted.  I’m not sure if this is due to the pad or the seal, but it definitely is evident.  
 
There are two main things that pop up in the midrange for me.  The first is vocals.  With the production pads, vocals tend to have a bit of raspiness to them, something that the preproduction seems to get rid of.  I would not have heard this if I didn’t compare the pads.  This doesn’t really bother me though.  Some vocals, on the other hand, do gain a bit of air and sweetness to them though.  There is a bit more aggression in the midrange which can add a tad bit to detailing with the production.  The preproduction pads can be a bit too smooth for me.  
 
There is mainly one thing I hear in the treble, and that’s a bit more softness to it.  It’s not as harsh and more forgiving to poor recordings overall with the FocusPad A.  
 

Conclusions

I know a lot of people stated that the FocusPad A were more neutral...  I don't think one is more neutral than the other...  The FocusPad (production model), graphically, has the peak go back to the "zero" point (@ 1 kHz) in contrast to the rest of the graph if you look at the measurement.  Though there is a dip in the 2 kHz...  On the other end of things, the FocusPad A is much more linear, though still has a small downslope into the treble (OW-like). 
 
Personally, I find the FocusPad A to be a little too smooth and lacking in aggression shows up for guitars really.  The additional treble energy is also very nice.  On the flip-side of things, the Focus A (for me anyway) have a much better bass response and fluidity to it.  Makes it such a hard choice which pads to use   I love to rock out, and would love to have both things (aggression and bass fluidity).  As of right now, I actually do prefer the FocusPad (production).  Though the A is much more comfortable. 

Mine with the CrapPad have better bass and HD-800 like soundstage.

 

[tinyman392]

  Mine with the CrapPad have better bass and HD-800 like soundstage.

 
CrapPad? 

 

[audionewbi]

   
CrapPad? 

must be a DIY project he is working on

 

[tinyman392]

  must be a DIY project he is working on

 
ROFL!  XD 

 

[tin427]

 
Just received my Lyr2. Having a blast with the he560!

 

[conquerator2]

After getting a little more time with the two pads, I did find that the differences were bigger than what I initially heard in the first couple hours of use.  Now, I know they seem like they are on their way out, I did want to post something more definitive and final about the pads. 

FocusPad vs FocusPad A

As many of you know, there are not one, but two hybrid pads that are available for the HiFiMan HE-series headphones.  They are called the FocusPad (production) and FocusPad A (pre-production).  The core differences between them visually is that the production pad, on the interior wall, uses perforated pleather.  The preproduction model uses velour for the inner wall.  

A Word on Comfort

Before I go on to sound, I’ll go over a couple things regarding comfort.  The FocusPad A is much more comfortable than the FocusPad.  It utilizes a softer foam which compresses easier and reduces the clamping force that the FocusPad has.  Also do note that the FocusPad A seals better with my head…  That’s my head, so your mileage may vary in that regard.  It may also explain the difference in bass I hear.  

Sound Differences

Starting from the low-end, the bass, as stated does have slight differences to it.  The FocusPad A seems to have a little more fluidity to it and less of a body/thump to the low/mid-bass regions.  It sounds a lot less one-noted.  I’m not sure if this is due to the pad or the seal, but it definitely is evident.  

There are two main things that pop up in the midrange for me.  The first is vocals.  With the production pads, vocals tend to have a bit of raspiness to them, something that the preproduction seems to get rid of.  I would not have heard this if I didn’t compare the pads.  This doesn’t really bother me though.  Some vocals, on the other hand, do gain a bit of air and sweetness to them though.  There is a bit more aggression in the midrange which can add a tad bit to detailing with the production.  The preproduction pads can be a bit too smooth for me.  

There is mainly one thing I hear in the treble, and that’s a bit more softness to it.  It’s not as harsh and more forgiving to poor recordings overall with the FocusPad A.  

Conclusions

I know a lot of people stated that the FocusPad A were more neutral...  I don't think one is more neutral than the other...  The FocusPad (production model), graphically, has the peak go back to the "zero" point (@ 1 kHz) in contrast to the rest of the graph if you look at the measurement.  Though there is a dip in the 2 kHz...  On the other end of things, the FocusPad A is much more linear, though still has a small downslope into the treble (OW-like). 

Personally, I find the FocusPad A to be a little too smooth and lacking in aggression shows up for guitars really.  The additional treble energy is also very nice.  On the flip-side of things, the Focus A (for me anyway) have a much better bass response and fluidity to it.  Makes it such a hard choice which pads to use   I love to rock out, and would love to have both things (aggression and bass fluidity).  As of right now, I actually do prefer the FocusPad (production).  Though the A is much more comfortable. 

Pretty spot on.
Ironically in my case, the Focus A has more bass oomph and body while the Focus is tighter... I guess it all depends on seal.
Comfort is pretty similar for me. One is a firmer deeper pad the other is a softer pad that can decompress a bit too much though...
I am glad I have both but for now I too do prefer the more crunch that Focus provides

 

[zxc]

Pretty spot on.
Ironically in my case, the Focus A has more bass oomph and body while the Focus is tighter...

This is exactly my observation. I do find the Focus-A significantly more comfortable though.

 

[davidsh]

On the flip side, these do exhibit a slight tizz in the treble and lacks some more 'zing' and aggression to my ears. The bass can be a little soft at times too, though that is very recording dependent.
I think they do good in just about all genres but lack some excitement for metal

 

[hifiman-us]

   
The HE-4 were the best < $500 planar headphones, not the HE-400.
 
The 400s were a mistake,

If the HE-400s were a "mistake", HiFiMAN hopes to make many more mistakes just like that. HE-400 was a hugely popular headphone. 
 
Peter

 

[Yeswecan]

   A couple scratches is fine, but there are minor scratches on every aspect of the headphone.

How could you ever approve a single scratch the product being new?  

 

[TMRaven]

EQ 2khz up to add some fullness for metal.

 

[hifimanrookie]

If the HE-400s were a "mistake", HiFiMAN hopes to make many more mistakes just like that. HE-400 was a hugely popular headphone. 

Peter

He400 was not a mistake...i understand u guys tuned it for the US market..where they love? More agressive sounding headphones..and yeah..they do well on most markets...but for the true audiophile the step-in phone into audio bliss is the he500...wonderful phone!

Still think it is. I didnt like the soundsignature of the he400 when i upgraded from the he300.. To much of the extreme frequencies..not to balanced...to much treble and to much bass compared to the rest of the frequencies....but thats a personal taste ofcourse! Now i have the code-x...made out of the now rare HE5... If u guys knew how the he5 can sound like u would have keep on making it ...and the wood doesnt crack! . Cough..contact..cough..LFF..cough cough

Dont get me wrong..i love hifiman stuff..even had the nice sounding hm602 once!

 

[Keithpgdrb]

The 400 was a fantastic can. I preferred it to the muffled 500. The balance was a bit wonky in the highs for some, but at least there were highs, opposed to all the other orthos at the time. If only the 500 had more air, and the honky upper midrange could have been fixed.

 

[Sonic Defender]

Amplifier matching with the 560 while perhaps not as critical as with the HE 500 or HE 6 is still worth considering. While the 560 is indeed a easier load to drive, it isn't unsubstantial in terms of need. While I fully admit that I listen quite loud (I think I conditioned myself this way by accident and I am trying to learn to enjoy quieter listening) my A2 I feel is slightly under-powered for this head-phone. It certainly does a good job, but the fact that I can play it on full gain, but typically at 2 or 3 o'clock leads me to suspect that the headroom of the amp is essentially gone. Will my signals be clipped in a meaningful or audible manner? I am not sure. While I do not subscribe to needing mega watts in reserve, the theory behind having reserve headroom does make sense. So I think for potential 560 buyers, or current owners looking into their amplification if you like fairly loud playback you might need an amp that can provide at least 1.7 mw into a 32ohm load. It is also important to note that the 560 has been reported to consistently represent a higher resistance than the 35ohm rated impedance.
 
Again please note this viewpoint is contingent upon a higher than normal playback level, and this is simply my opinion and I represent it as nothing more than that.

 

[Audio Addict]

Look what arrived on Thursday.  I let them break-in using the PAD System Enhancer Ultimate CD for 24 hours.
 


 
I was hoping these were as good as I was reading in this thread and they are.  
 
I spent a few hours last evening listening using my iTouch as the source and the BMC Audio Puredac for the DAC.  Since the included cable is only single ended, I ran the Puredac balanced into my RSA Apache and listened using its single-ended out.  This ensured I had enough headroom to not limit these headphone.
 
You definitely appreciate the change in the weight and comfort fit when you sit and listen for any length of time.  I am still getting to know these headphone but I can say they are definitely a keeper.  I primarily use the WyWires Red headphone cable these days and have order mini-coaxial to mini-xlr adapters to allow me to run these balance.